Floor and ceiling construction



l I. G. DAVIS. FLOOR AND CEILING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7| I-9I8.

Patented July 20, 1920.

NWGNN ANW..

UNITED STATES JAMES G. DAVIS, 0F BUFFALO, YORK.

FLOOR AND CEILING CONSTRUCTION.

'Application filed November 7, 191s.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN G. Davis, a citizen of the United States, residing in Buffalo, in-*the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Floor and Ceiling Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

rThis invention relates to a floor and ceiling construction having a plurality of body sections arranged adjacent to each other and forming channels between them, reinforcing bars or rods arranged in said channels, and a mass of coalescent material, such as concrete extending over said body sections and the channels between the same and embedding said reinforcing bars.-

The objects of this invention are to provide a floor and ceiling construction of this character having means for more secuiely locking together the concrete mass and the porous body sections Vso that the/latter will be more reliably supported by the former;

also to provide efficient means for preventing the porous body sections from unduly abstracting the moisture from themass of concrete and weakening the same before it becomes set; and also to provide superior means for supporting tliese reinforcing bars preparatory to being embedded in the concrete mass.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure' l is a fragmentary perspective view showing partof a completed floor and ceiling 'construction embodying my invention and another portion which is in the course of erection. Fig. '2 is-a perspective view of one of the lower body sections of the floor and ceiling construction. Fig. 3 is a similar view of one of the upper body sections of the same. Fig.4 is a .fragmentary sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing the means for supporting the reinforcing bars preparatory to embedding them in the concrete mass. e

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In its general construction, this floorand ceiling construction for buildings coinprises a porous body which 'is made up of a plurality ofY lower and upper sections, an upper filling consisting principally of a mass of concrete or other coalescent material extending over the upper side of this body and aV lower finish applied to the underside of this body. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20,1920. serial No. 261,529.

Vper'horizontal rectangular plate 3 and a vertical flange 4: depending from one of the edges of this plate while the remaining edges' thereof are unflanged. These body sections may be constructed of any suitable material but preferably are made of amixture of plaster of'Iaris or gypsum and wood fiber or excelsior, so that they are porous. light and durable and permit of driving a nail or similar fasteningthrough the same without cracking or injuring the material. The length of the upper body section from its flanged toits opposite unflanged edge is less than the measurement of the lower bodv section `from its flanged to its opposite uiiflanged edge.' In assembling a plurality of such body sections, the flanged edge of the plate of each lower section engages with that edge of an adjacent lower body section opposite the flange of the latter, so that the undersides of the several plates of these vbody sections are flush and form a practically flat, continuous surface. For the purpose of holding the plates of the several lower body sections in alinement with each other, means are provided for interlocking the same. These interlocking means may be varied and as shown in Fig. l the same may consist of an inclined shoulder or ledge 5 arranged on the flanged edge of each lower plate and formed by the lower part of a V-shaped groove therein and beveled tongue G arranged at the opposite edge thereof, so that when the several lower body sections are assembled, the tongue of each plate engages with tlie lower side 5 of the groove in an adjacent lower plate and thereby holds the several plates against vertical displacement relatively to each other.

Each upper body section rests with the lower edge of its vertical flange on the upper side of one of the lower plates at a distance from that edge of the latter opposite toits flange, while that edge of the upper body section opposite its flange rests onY top of the flange of the companion lower body section to which latter the same may be secured by means of nails 8 or other means.

When aplurality 'of body sections are assembled end to end and side to side, a hollow air space 9 is formed between the superposed sections of a set or pairof b ody sections which not only produces a light' structure but also keeps the same dry and soundfproof. l Owing to thevertical flange of each u pper body section being arranged at a distance from the adjacent unflanged edge of thefplate of the companion lower body secti'ona channel 10 is produced between the i vertical fia'nges of the body sections of one set of'vsections and the vertical flanges of thelowerbody sections of an adjacent set of sections, which channelopens upwardly but is closed at its bottom or underside by the unflaiiged edge portions of the adjacent lower body plates, as clearly shown. in Fig. l. i/Vhenfassembling a plurality of such Y body sections, `the same are temporarily supported upon a shoring `or support which preferablycomprises a plurality of head "boards or planks 1l engaging with the underside of the lower body plates and extendacross the ljoints between the same and Vaiplurality of posts or uprights l2 extend- .'ing from these head pieces to the floor or ground ofthe building. The lower body plates are preferably temporarily secured to. theseV head piecesby nailsl passing downwardly through the unfianged edge portions of the lower body plates within the channels 10 and into the head pieces vof the shoring, as shown` in Fig. 1. y.

fter the body of the floor rand ceiling construction has 4been thus assembled, they fioor filling or surfacing is applied to the upper side of the same, which filling preferably consists of a mass of concrete or similar material and is applied to the upper sides of this body in a plastic state so as to completely fill the channels and also eX- crete into thesame and effectively reinforce these beams land the slab above the same whenthe concrete has become set, seasoned andjdry.

` After, thel concrete has thoroughly set and ,l dried, the shoring is removed and the lower endspjofthe nails 13, whereby the lower body plates aresecured to the head pieces of the shoring, are either cut off or bentV upwardly and clenched against the underside of the respective'body plates, as shown at the left end of Fig; 1. The underside or ceiling ofthe'building construction for certain purposes is now complete and forms a Y straight, `fiat or even surface, which does not require any further finish if the purpose for which the building is to be used does not require it. If, however, it is desired to have a finished appearance of vthe ceiling, the underside of the lower body plates may be covered by a finish coating or surfacing 22 of plaster or similar material ,which canbe applied to the lower body plates without the use of any lathingor similar means Yfor retaining the'plaster on these body plates.

It has been found in practice thatrwhen wet concrete-or other coalescent material is applied directly to the surface of the porous body sections that the latter are liable to absorb such an amount of moisture or water fromthe concrete before itl hasset as to weaken the same; To avoid this, undue suction effect of the body sections,'the same are covered on those sides which facey the plastic masses with a protecting` coating, such as paper or a waterproof material 'or solution which has the capacity of vvpreventing undue absorption ofthe moisture therein which 1 otherwise tendsy to destroy the proper proportion of ingredientsjin the mixture and weaken the lsame before it is dry and hard. Such a protecting sheet is shown at 30 between the upper external surfaces of the body sections and the mass of, concrete forming the slab and ribs, and at 31.beV tween the lower external surfaces ofthe body sections andthe plaster finish 22 forming the ceiling. By this means weakening of the concrete or plaster is prevented and the .same is permitted to dry out naturally and retain its full strength.

. For the purpose of causing the floor slab Y and ribs of the concrete mass Vwhen hard to 110 reliably support the body sections and ceiling finish applied thereto, each of the channelsV .between adjacent body sections is so formed that when vthe concrete ribs are formed therein an interlock between the ribs 115 and body sections is produced which pre vents -fvertical displacement of thesemem bers relatively to one another. vThis is preferably accomplished by providing the lower parts Vof the opposingsurface of the ver- 120 tical flanges of adjacent body sections with downwardly diverging faces 32,34 and the upper parts of the Vsame with upwardly diverging faces 33, v3,5, whereby each channel is Vcontracted between Vits Vtop and bottom 125 parts. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the lower face 32. is of inclinedform on the lower external side of the vertical flange ofthe upper Y body section,E and the correspondingV Lipper face 33 is of inclined form 'onthe 130 upper part of this flangeyand the lowerl face 3lis formed by the inclined upper part of the "w -shaped groove at the lower end of the exterior of the vertical flange of the lower body section and the corresponding upper face 35 is of inclined form on the upper part of the exterior of the last mentioned flange. It follows from this that when the plastic concrete mass is poured into a channel that a downwardly enlarged dovetail or lrey 3G is'formed at the lower end of the rib or beam which serves7 when dry and hard to sustain the body sections against downwardly movement and securely interlocks these members against displacement.

ln order to permit of convenientlyloeating and supporting the reinforcing bars or rods in their proper position within the channels preparatory to introducing the concrete in the same around said bars, supporting means are provided which are preferably constructed as followsz' Mounted on the bottom of each channel are a plurality of supports each of which comprises a pair of horizontal feet 37 which are preferably embedded in the unflanged edge of the horizontal plate of the adjacent lower body section, 38, 38 two upright legs rising from these feet above the upper side of this plate and a cross bar 39 connecting the upp'er ends of these legs and preferably of crimped form so as to produce a plurality vof upwardly facing seats. Each of these supports or benches is preferably constructed of a single piece of wirel those parts of which are outside of the body section may be bent flatwise against the body plate for convenience in shipping these sections compactly but which are bent into a position perpendicular to said plate when ready for use. lllhen the several body sections have been thus assembled to form a channel between them and the bar supports are in their normal position one or more reinforcing bars or rods are placed within the channel with its underside resting'in corresponding seats of the supports whereby the reinforcing bars will be located and reliably retained in the proper position while the concrete for the ribs is poured into the channel and around the bars. The upper parts of the bar supports are arranged in the upper enlarged parts of the channels and thus serve as anchors to support the unflanged ends of the horizontal plates of the lower body sections which form the bottoms of the channels when the concrete beams in which these supports or anchors are embedded, have become hard and dry. By this means the erection of the floor and ceiling is facilitated and a stronger and more durable structure is produced.

l claim as my invention:

l. A floor and ceiling construction 'comprisinga plurality of lower L.-shapedsections and a plurality of upper L-shaped sections, each lower section having a lower horizontal plate and an upwardly projecting vertical liange which is arranged at one er of the plate and the outer side of which is provided with a horizontal groove on its lower part and receding inclined face above said groove, and each upper section having an upper horizontal plate which rests at one end on 'the flange of the lower section while its opposite end is provided with a downwardly projecting vertical flange which is separated by a channel from the flange of the adjacent lower section and the outer side of which is provided with a downwardly inclined lower face and an upwardly inclined upper face, the unl'langed end of each lower plate engaging with and supported by the lower part of the groove in the flanged end of the adjacent lower sectioni the opposing surfaces of the flanges on opposite sides of each channel being narrow between the top and bottom of this channel and enlarging upwardly and downwardly from the narrow part of the channel, and a concrete mass extending over said sections and forming a slab over the upper horizontal plates and depending beams in said channels, each of said beams being contracted between its top and bottom forming laterally projecting anchors at its lower edge upon which the downwardly inclined edges of the vertical flanges of adjacent sections rest.

2. A floor and ceiling construction comprisingv a plurality of lower L-shaped sections ano a plurality of upper L-shaped tions, each lower section having a lower horizontal plate and an upwardly projecting vertical flange which is arranged at one end of the plate and the outer side of which is provided with a horizontal groove on its lower part and a receding inclined face above said groove, and each upper section having an upper horizontal plate which rests at one end on the flange of the lower section while its opposite end is provided with a downwardly projecting y vertical flange which is separated by a channel from the flange of the adjacent lower section and the outer side of which is provided with a downwardly inclined lower face and an upwardly inclined upper face, the unllanged end of each lower plate engaging with and supported by the lower part of the groove in the flanged end of the adjacent lower section, the opposing surfaces of the flanges on opposite sides of each channel being narrow between the top and bottom of this channel and enlarging upwardly and downwardly from the narrow part of the channel, a concrete mass extending over said sections and forming a slab over the upper horizontal plates and depending beams in said channels, each of said beams being contracted between its top and bottom forming laterally projecting anchors at its lower edge upon which the downwardly inclined edges of the vertical flanges of adjacent sections rest, supports arranged in each kof said channels and Veach embedded at its lower end in the adjacent part of' the horizontal plate of the respective lower section while its upper part projects into the upwardly enlarging upper part of tlie'respective channel, andV reinforcing bars ai'i'anged in the upwardly enlarging upper part 01"' said channel and resting on the upper part of said. support and enibedded with the same in the concrete of said beam.

3. A floor and ceiling constiuction cornprising a plurality of porous body sections arranged adjacent to each other and forming betweenl them a plurality of channels, a plurality of supports arranged in saidV channels and each having horizontal feet embedded in these portions of said body sections formf ing the bottom of said channels, legs rising from said feet and a crimpedv cross bar connecting the upper ends of said legs, reinforcing bars arranged in said channels and resting on said cross bars, and a mass of concrete extending over said sections and into the channels between the same and embedding said reinforcing bars and upper parts of said supports.

4l. A floor and ceiling construction ,coni-I prising a plurality of L-shaped lower seetions and a plurality of L-shaped upper sections, eacli lower section having a comparatively long lower horizontal plate one end of which is provided with an upstanding vertical flange while its other` end is unflanged and each of the upper sections having a comparatively short horizontal upper plate one end of which is unflanged and rests on the upper edge of the upstanding flange of one of the lower sections while its oppo site end is provided with a depending ver-Y tical flange which rests on top of the coinpanion lower plate and is separated fronithe vertical flange of the adjacent upper section forming a channel therebetween, and an anchor secured at its lower end in that part of each lower plate forming the bottom of a channel and having its upper j )art'projecting upwardly into said channel, whereby upon covering said sections and filling the channels between the saine with concrete the anchors will become embedded in the concrete and form a support for theplates of said lower sections.

5. A floor and ceiling construction coinprising a plurality of L-shaped'lower sections and aV plurality of L-shaped upper sections,.eacli lower section having a comparatively long lowerhorizontal plate one end Y of which is provided with an upstanding flange while its other end is unfianged, and each of the upper sections having a com: paratively short horizontal upper plate, one

end of which is unflanged and engages the upper edge of the upstanding iangeof oneV of the lowersections while its opposite end is provided with aV depending flange which rests on the companion lower plate and isV separated from the upstanding flange of the adjacent lower section :forming a channel therebetween, and an anchorrar anged on that part of each lower plate forming the bottoni Vofa channel, whereby upon covering tively short horizontal upper plate one end:

of which is unflanged and engages with the upper edge of the upstanding flange of one yof the lower sections while its opposite end is provided with a depending flange which rests Von the companion lower plate and is separated from the upstanding flange of the adjacent lower .section forming a channel therebetween,'the upstanding and depending flanges on opposite. sidesjof each channel having those parts of their opposing faces between their upper and lower ends arranged comparatively close together while the upperandlower partsV ofY said faces aie separated farther thanthe central parts of said faces so tliateach of said channels enlarges upwardly and downwardly from a pointbetween the top and bottom` ot said channel,A wherebyupon covering saidpsec-V tions andfilling thechannels between theA saine with concrete said flanges on opposite sides of each channel will become interlocked with the concrete beamgbetween the same vagainst vertical displacement relatively to each other. 1 j

JAMES G. DAVIS. 

